Values that Last: Conclusion

I found this series not only to be encouraging to me in my own Christian walk, but has kept me accountable as well. Each week I’ve made great effort to attend church and take notes as our pastor elaborated on each session. Developing values that will last is critical in our faith. It’s important to know which convictions we are to stand by and why. Values that Last: Intro: My hope here was to get others involved in discussion through Families.com’s forum. Thank you to those of you who participated and shared your thoughts. My hope was to connect with … Continue reading

Values That Last: Intro

I’m going to begin a series of blogs taken from a small group study course our church is promoting. The title of this course is called “Values That Last” and was presented to those who wished to participate, as a “small-group-in-a-bag”. Within this bag everything that is needed to lead and maintain a group is there: Study books, group leader guide, DVD (for leader instruction and group lessons), pens, name tags, invite cards, and contact information for further support by our church. All of this was provided completely free of charge. My husband and I will be working together on … Continue reading

Overcoming Injustice

I’m on to part 5 in my Values that Last series and am looking at moving past injustice in our world. Seems like once I get hung up on the “life’s not fair” attitude, I stop progressing, and rather appear depressing. Here are some statistics that I’ve learned in this series: Jesus talks more in the Bible about wealth and poverty than heaven and hell, violence, and sexual immorality. Between the four gospels, 1 in 10 verses contain teaching on economic issues in relation to wealth and/or concern for the poor. Thirty-three percent of children under age five in developing … Continue reading

Living with Integrity

This blog is based off the 4th session in the Values that Last series. What does integrity mean to you? Having integrity is having a good solid stand in regard to morality and ethics. A person of integrity is more likely to stand out, move ahead and gain the respect of those around them. The Bible states in 1 Chronicles 29:17 that God is pleased with integrity. People with integrity are those who integrate values into how they live. In looking at areas in my own life, the following are ways I try to incorporate integrity: Home and Family: I … Continue reading

Deciding Right From Wrong

This is part 3 in the Values that Last series where I’ll be touching on discerning right from wrong. My first blog was on choosing my standard and my second one was on why my beliefs matter. Each one of us has a basis for determining what is right from what is wrong in our lives. Just because something feels right, doesn’t mean that it is. As a Christian, my authority is God, and His guide book for my life is the Bible. As I look at 8 common pleasures in society, I can see potential for destruction: Eating: Like … Continue reading

Why My Beliefs Matter

This is the second part based on a small-group series I’m working on called Values that Last. Last week’s blog was on Choosing My Standard, and this week I’ll be sharing on why our beliefs matter. How we view our world is so important because our lives are based around perception. If we believe what the Bible says to be truth, then likely (hopefully) we’ll conform to the teachings of the Word. Likewise, if we perceive life to be about feeling good, we will likely shape our ways around things that make us feel good. Views on life are critical … Continue reading

Choosing My Standard

This is the first part of a small group series I’ve been working in called, “Values that Last“. Though I could probably write several blogs on this session alone, I am just going to focus on the specific areas that really hit home for me. There seems to be a decay of truth in today’s society. This is likely a result of three philosophies (among others) that have taken root in our society: Individualism: Personal independence, relying on yourself, the standard of your own life and what seems right to you. “In those days there was no king in Israel; … Continue reading